Wednesday, April 14, 2010

How to Close an Open Mind

You can come on Visionary Shamanism and explain that you are appropriating the teachings of [insert indigenous peoples here] and reframing them for bored suburbanites. You can relay messages from St. Michael and the Dolphin Brotherhood. You can expound at length on the Zionist/Reptile Aliens connection. None of this will garner even a whiff of dissent. But claim that the gods might be real and might actually, you know, expect something from their followers? BLASPHEMY!!!!

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A pagan fundamentalist. Interesting. Where is the "hell", Galina, that you are sending me to for not becoming a "god-slave" such as yourself?

I find it interesting that neither Galina nor myself said that anyone on here would be sent to hell or punished by the Gods for their unbelief. Neither did we say that others should follow our beliefs or seek out converts. Yet you bring up images of "hell" and Dave brings up "proselytizing." Apparently the idea that the Gods might exist as something other than a mental construct or a mild-mannered nebulous benevolence brings up some negative connections for some.

I wonder what is going on here. Are you frightened that someday, somewhere, you might encounter a Being which asked you to do something besides chant affirmations or gobble entheogens? Or does your "tolerance of all shamanic beliefs" only extend to those practiced by wealthy First Worlders who attend the right seminars and promise only to work for the Highest Good? It's interesting that on a list dedicated to "Visionary Shamanism" there would be so much horror of the very idea that there might actually be something behind those visions.

If you're really interested in Shamanic beliefs and practices, you may want to look into the tradition of Shamans being drafted involuntarily by the spirits. That's found in many cultures and traditions. When you are done with that look into the traditions of deities laying taboos or geases on their followers. Consider that for most of recorded history the idea that the Divine required our permission to do anything wasn't even blasphemous - it was laughable. And when you're done contemplating that, ask yourself if you are really 100% certain that you have reached a higher pinnacle of civilization and knowledge which allows you to state categorically that there is nothing to those "primitive" beliefs.

I can see the universe where it is just a bunch of ego-maniac deities demanding worship - my god can kick your god's ass type of world. But these aren't the deities I prefer to play with. Mine are the adults watching your deities play in a sophomoric sandbox. Grow up in your worship and you will get grown up deities who do not demand their slaves to worship them. But this is not to say that my god can't whip your god's ass, since mine is the supreme deity, bow down to the great Almighty!

In other words, your god can kick her god's ass, but he is far too evolved to even consider doing so.